So did Jonathan Tasini endorse Senator Clinton...

[SaveElmer]

After his defeat last week? Nothing on the news sites that I saw, and nothing on his website.

[geek tragedy]

1. No, he was a left-wing DINO.

http://www.tasinifornewyork.org/

He was a Green pretending to be a Democrat. Now that he's lost, he'll pull a Lieberman and support a third party (well, at least he didn't found one like Joementum).

[SaveElmer]

2. Well I hope all those decrying Lieberman's refusal to endorse Lamont...

Which I agreed with...will decry Tasini's failure to do the same.

[geek tragedy]

3. Nah, people can just continue to ignore Tasini, just like they

did when he was running against HRC. Irrelevant then, irrelevant now.

[Cornus]

4. Check his blog

Right now there are 74 responses to Tasini's post asking for feedback from his supporters as to his next move. Seems like almost all of them are suggesting that he support Howie Hawkins. His positions are obviously closest to Tasini's, so it would seem the logical choice. Don't see how he could possibly support the pro-war HRC.

http://www.tasinifornewyork.org/

[SaveElmer]

5. If he is a Democrat...

He should be supporting the Democratic candidate should he not...

Is that not the argument from those decrying Joe Lieberman's lack of respect for the will of the Democratic voters...

Or was Tasini's running as a Democrat a ruse to allow him easier access to the ballot...

In short...is he a Democrat or isn't he?

BTW: your characterization of Hillary's war stance is incorrect!

[Tom Rinaldo]

6. I supported Tasini and now I support Clinton

Unlike Lieberman, Hillary is solidly within the mainstream of our Party. Whatever message I had that I wanted Clinton to receive, I sent it through the Primary. She can now count on me in November.

As for Tasini's position, I don't know it. If he doesn't work against Clinton this fall perhaps he could win my support for some future Democratic race. If he actively campaigns against Hillary or endorses another candidate against her, to me that means he left our Party. Since Clinton doesn't in any way need Tasini's support to win in November, I am not much bothered if Tasini doesn't endorse any candidate and just sits it out instead, rather than actively helping a Green candidate against the Democratic nominee.

[SaveElmer]

7. I applaud your position...

However, the fact that Tasini is even considering endorsing someone other than the Democratic candidate marks him as a non-Democrat in my book!

[rinsd]

8. He should endorse the Democratic nominee or no one.

I can understand his not wanting to endorse Clinton but if he endorses a Green party candidate, he is no longer a Democrat and should not be considered such.

[gratuitous]

9. Let's see . . .

Tasini wasn't the incumbent; he is not a national figure; he doesn't have nearly the political career that Lieberman has had; he isn't a big noise in national Democratic circles; he didn't make contingency plans to mount an independent candidacy should he lose the primary; all of his endorsements aren't currently flowing from Republicans.

Any other differences folks can name between Tasini and Lieberman?

[SaveElmer]

10. If he endorses a non-Democrat...

He is no better than Lieberman!

[gratuitous]

12. Okay . . .

If you want to count Tasini's pop-gun candidacy with Lieberman's loose cannon, that's certainly your right; but Tasini does not cut nearly the national figure that Lieberman does or did, and the New York race hasn't garnered nearly the attention in party circles that the Connecticut race attracted. So, what's your point? That the same people who were sick and tired of pro-war suck up Joe Lieberman in Connecticut yet still pledged to endorse the Democratic nominee should . . . well, what exactly? Nobody can control Tasini or Lieberman except themselves. And in both races, people who are interested in building the Democratic party are endorsing the party's nominee.

Don't worry that you couldn't reach that bunch of grapes; they were probably sour anyway.

[SaveElmer]

13. What I want is the same standard applied...

To those on the left who pose as Democrats as to those such as Lieberman.

There was extensive hand-wringing on DU when Lieberman made his Indie announcement. And I agreed with it. I would like these same people to apply the same standard to the candidates they supported in the primary that were defeated.

Tasini was defended here against criticism that he was not a real Democrats and was in fact a Green.

If Tasini decides to endorse a non-Democrat in the race, which he has said is an option, than I would like to see him condemned in the same way Lieberman was.

[gratuitous]

17. OKAY EVERYBODY YOU HAVE YOUR ORDERS!

SaveElmer has decreed that everyone should do as he says. Get to it, or else.

Happy now?

[SaveElmer]

19. Just hoping for declarations of support...

For the Democratic candidate, as that of course is what offended them when Lieberman refused to do so...which of course I agreed with (as I have stated)

[Cornus]

21. HRC will not get my support

I choose to vote my conscience and it certainly won't be for her.

[SaveElmer]

27. Are you saying you will advocate..

For an opponent of the Democratic candidate in the New York Senate race?

[rinsd]

16. That's a bit of a stretch.

While I think Tasini shouldn't be considered a Democrat if he endorses a Green, I don't think he is in the league of Joe-mentum with his own splinter party and all the nonsense that has transpired.

[SaveElmer]

18. In scope you are correct...

But in principle it is the same in my book. And with all the screaming about Lieberman, and the clear support for Tasini on this board, I was hoping for a more clear declaration of support for the Democratic Candidate.

[rinsd]

20. What?

You want proof that politics are stronger than posits of principle?

That claims of doing the right thing (ie: opponents endorsement etc) are so much bullshit political posturing that were sworn to solemnly by Lamont lovers for the purposes of embarassing Joe-mentum with no real grounding in actual principle hence the same people likely having no issue with Tasini endorsing a Green Party candidate?

C'mon, that's fish in a barrel.

[geek tragedy]

11. Tasini is completely irrelevant, while Lieberman is still

a big problem.

[newspeak]

14. I heard Tasini on AAR a couple of days ago

he is very much a progressive democrat--what he talked about was working within the Democratic Party for true progressive change-he was excited because it was a grass roots movement that gave him over 100,000 votes over an encumbant-he had very little money to spend, and thought that was a good start in the right direction. He talked about, because of his votes, that it does help give voice to those progressive democrats within the party. He said nothing bad about Hillary or the Democratic Party. I didn't hear all of his interview, but what I did hear was very positive. He emphasized the notion about working within the party for change, so I don't believe he's going to be endorsing outside of the party.

[SaveElmer]

15. Why then...

Would he raise that as a possibility on his website?

[Cornus]

22. He didn't....

...merely looking for feedback from supporters as to what they might do.

As I said earlier, I will vote my conscience, and that will NOT be for someone (HRC) who has not come out AGAINST this immoral war.

[SaveElmer]

28. Right...

So he asks his supporters if he should support a non-Democrat with the intention of not doing so...please...

Tasini is a left wing DINO, no better than Lieberman!

[Lone_Star_Dem]

23. You have a point here

At first I couldn't figure out where you were going with this. I couldn't get how they were they same, on one had we have a Green Party candidate who switched to run as a Dem in the primary. On the other Lieberman. Then it hit me what you were trying to say.

Neither one was ever a REAL Democrat in the fist place. ;)

[Cornus]

24. Just MHO

Tasini was the *true* progressive Democrat.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

25. Many Greens are more progressive

Many were the Progressive Democrats of yesterday who thought being Green would be a better solution than being sold out. What we need to do is find a way to bring them back in the Dem party.

[SaveElmer]

29. He is not a Democrat at all...

If he endorses a candidate running against the Democrat nominated by the Democratic voters of New York.

[Tom Rinaldo]

26. I think Tasini was aligned with the Working Families Party

That is a registered third Party in New York. Working Families and the Democrats cross endorse with some frequency, and Democrats have nominated identified Working Families Party members for their own candidates. It's more like the relationship that the Republicans tend to have with the Conservative Party in New York. The Working Families Party has strong Labor roots here. Most of the time the Working Families Party runs a Democrat on their own slate, thus giving that Democrat a second ballot line. The Greens and Democrats in NY rarely if ever cross endorse. I don't think Tasini was a Green though many of his supporters are and they share many common positions.

[Freddie Stubbs]

30. Why would his endorsement matter anyway?

The primary has already shown that he has little sway among voters.